Nissan Qashqai performance

The Qashqai's engine line-up features an entry-level 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel and range-topping 1.6-litre diesel and petrol.

You may question the logic of fitting a seemingly large crossover with something as diminutive as a 1.2-litre petrol engine, but turbocharging and advances in engineering have permitted compact engines to produce substantial and reliable outputs.

You’d expect acceleration to be modest, but in fact it’s perfectly adequate. Pedal response can be poor at very low revs, with pulling power only fully coming on stream at about 1750rpm. That apart, the engine is as flexible as it is willing.

It doesn’t run short of breath until 4500rpm, it’s never coarse or intrusive and it makes enough urge to give reasonable overtaking and motorway grunt. In our experience, you can’t expect more of a 99g/km, £20,000 family car.

It's a similar story with the 1.6-litre version. It's as strong and as torquey as a healthy 2.0-litre, and its noise and vibrations are very well isolated.

Changing gears is made effortless by a perfectly positioned gearlever with a slick and assured action. Control weights are uniform and substantial enough to speak of the distinguishing quality that Nissan wants this car to communicate.

The CVT, when specified, is hardly recognisable as such: there’s no 'rubber band' effect, perhaps because of the 1.6-litre diesel's engine’s deeply impressive 236lb ft (which peaks at 1750rpm). The step-off, too, is as clean and easy to modulate as a normal automatic's.